First Look: Salma Hayek Becomes a Badass Action Star in ‘Everly’

"You've never seen me like this before," says Salma Hayek of her performance in the Joe Lynch-directed action thriller 'Everly.' The actress has taken us to dark places with her sexy vampiress in 'From Dusk Till Dawn' and even threw some drug lord shade in 'Savages,' but now she's become an action starlet and has her eyes on the Yakuza.

USA Today premiered the first look at Hayek in her new action-heavy role as Everly, a woman involved with a leader of the Yakuza. After becoming an informant for the FBI, she's ultimately found out and must pack some heat when the crime gang comes knocking at her door for some revenge.

Interesting enough, the script takes place in the (dis)comfort of Everly's own apartment. "She starts out in one state of mind. And through the course of one night, she sort of rises out of ashes as she becomes stronger and stronger," says Hayek. "She has never killed anyone before. She's done nothing like this. And something else takes over."

Joe Lynch has directed us through the 'Wrong Turn' sequel and that 'Venom: Truth in Journalism' short with 'True Blood' star Ryan Kwanten that went viral not too long ago. He's also got another film coming up that has "badass" in the name, 'Knights of Badassdom,' starring Peter Dinklage, Summer Glau and Kwanten in a story about role-playing-game geeks summoning actual demons. We can't wait to see Lynch's 'Everly' story brought to life through his script with co-writer Yale Hannon -- and, of course, through Hayek slinging guns in presumably skimpy attire (see above image).

'Everly' is currently looking for distributors at the American Film Market.